Improved elastic heel-guard for horses



pllntrd (Statist @sind @Wina WILLIAM H. HALL, OF NEW GLOUCESTER, MAINE,ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF AND JOHN Vinteriorlining of the guard.

A`part of the forward hoof of the horse, and the parts of the parts.

.R.- CLIFFORD, OF CHELSEA, MASSACHUSETTS.

Lam Parmi No. 91,122, daad June 81869.

"nsf-K lIMPROVED ELASTIC HEEL-GUARD FOR-HORSES.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of the lame.

these points, where the delicate muscular structure is most liable to injury, giving increased elasticity, and more eiectually cushioning and deadening the blows, and' preventing the cuts caused byoverreaching, which prove so especially injurious to horses kept for racingpurposes.

Fig. shows the guard bent and buckled, precisely as when in use. It flares toward the bottom, to conform to the shape ofthe hoof, and narrows toward the top, to conformv tothe shape of the ankle.

When iu place, the rear ofthe hoof and frog, as well To all whom it may concern Beit known that I, WILLIAM H. HALL, of New Gloucester, Cumberland county, andState of' Maine, have invented a new and improved Elastic Heel-f :'ruard for Horses; and I do hereby declare the following to be a'full and exact` description thereof, reference bein ioned, and protected, while the strip is so shaped as to protect the upper portion of' the hoof, and the parts immediately contiguous thereto, not only at the rear portion, but along'the side and in front.

The exterior rubber-surface and the interior lining of-kersey are all made at the one operation.

The guard, when thus applied tp the front feet of the horse, protects them from such injuries as may be caused'by the hind feet.

The front shoes are not liable to be torn off by the hind shoes, as the guard tends to protect them.

Forhorses having ,quartepcracksf the guard is .found to be especially useful, as it can be drawn totached thereto, while the horse is moving at a rapid rate of speed, while, at the's'ame time, the interior of The inside of said guard Abeing lined with kersey, collects the moisture from' the ankle, and prevents the chaing'of' the leg.A

To enable others skilled in the ait to make and use myinvention, I will proceed to describe its construction and operation.

igurel is a view of the interior of the guard when extended;

Figure 2 is a'viewof the exterior of the same; and

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the closed guard.

Figure 4 represents aperspectiveview, showing the 1n apposition.

Sand and all foreign substances are thus excluded, and recovery facilitated.

I am able to secure the same results by coustructing my guard of a single piece of elastic- India rubber, Similar letters refer to similar parts. in the form of the frnstum of a cone, with its appro- A is a strip of' India rubber, or other elastic'material, so mouldedor formed as to fit accurately therear ing with the use of' straps and buckles, by simply drawing the guard over the hoof' to its position, which position its elasticity enables it to retain.

I do-not claim covering the parts ofthe front lower extremities of a horse most liable to injury, so as to protect the same against cuts or blows caused by inter'ering7 or overreaching, as cloth, leather, rope, and the like, have been rudely applied to the ankles of horses for this purpose; but

What I claim, isf vAs an article of manufacture, a heel-guard of India rubber, formed as described, that is to say, with the interior projections and rolls lined with kersey, all as herein shown and described.

WM. H. HALL.

immediately above and contiguous thereto. It is of andy buckle, as shown at c.'

B and C are interior projections, fitti-ng the anatomy D D are also interior projections, designed to lit into and around the' space between 'the shoe and the hoof on either side, at the rear portion thereof,` which arrangement secures the guard more rmly nits position.

E E are smaller interior projections, or heads, which seize upon the 'upper portion of Vthe hoof at the rear, and also assist in holding the guard in place.

Fig. 2 shows exterior projections at EF. These Witnesses: are designed 'to receive the blows from the hinder feet, FRANK FULLER, and to break their force, the increased thickness at WM. W. POST.

as the parts' just above them, is fully covered, cush-v gether, and thus tends to bring the edges of the crackl priate interior and exterior projections, thus dispens- 

